Break Down
by FutureCullen22
Summary: Oneshot. Edward's POV on Bella's breakdown in the chapter Needs. BxE


Ok, So for some reason I posted this a couple of months ago and just realized it was missing the 2nd half. So this is the full version of my oneshot.

Disclaimer: All the wonderful characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Even though I want them to belong to me.

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I was lying on the bed I had bought for Bella. The bed that had offended her so much. I felt my lips twitch up in a weak grin as I remembered coming home to see my angel curled up on my leather couch, in a blunt refusal of the king-sized bed I had bought her.

I felt my mouth immediately lose hold of the feeble grin as I remembered where my Bella, my angel, was now. And what decision she still could make while she was there.

I sighed as I pulled myself into an upright position on the bed, wrapping my arms around my knees in a vain attempt to console the emptiness in my arms, where Bella should be.

I would not stop Bella from choosing Jacob Black if she wished to. I knew that no matter how hard it was for me, I would never keep her from what would make her happy. The young werewolf who I had earned a small amount of respect for could give Bella so much more than I could. A somewhat human companionship, a real family, children, a human life… Why, already he had been able to go farther in one kiss with Bella than I had been able to in the year plus that I had been in love with her.

My thoughts were interrupted by a small knock. I caught the soft, worried thoughts and identified them as my sister.

"Come in, Alice."

"Edward…" My sister opened the door just enough to peek her head through. "It's Bella."

I sat up straighter, instantly alert. "Tell me", I ordered.

"You need to go find her. She was on her way back from Jacob's and she… she broke down. She made it past the border at least…"

I was already up and pulling on my shoes before Alice was done speaking. I started to walk past Alice on the way to the door but she stopped me by resting a hand on my arm. This time she thought her words, as if they were too private to say out loud.

_She's hurting, Edward. She's hurting a lot. Be gentle. _

I sighed and slipped by Alice, mentally bracing myself for Bella's sadness. And the fact that she broke down over Jacob. She loved him, I knew she did. And as much as I respected him for helping Bella, it hurt to know that she loved someone other than me.

I ran along the side of the road to La Push, wondering why I had left Bella unsupervised, in such a weak mental state, not even a day after she was almost slaughtered by a vengeful vampire. I heard her sobs before I saw her very noticeable red truck, pulled over crookedly on the shoulder of the road. I slowed my pace to a human jog and approached the truck. I could already smell her tears.

I paused for a moment, my hand on the door, wondering if I was doing the right thing. What if she had changed her mind? What if she didn't want me to hold her, to touch her again?

But the thoughts were quickly erased from my mind as Bella gave another heart wrenching sob. My angel was hurt and the only thing I could knew to do was to comfort her.

I opened the door with a rusty creak and pulled my Bella out of her fetal position on the seat of the truck, and into my arms.

At first her sobs grew louder and harsher. I didn't seem to be helping at all. But I held onto her tightly, as she sobbed into my stone chest.

I don't know how long I stood on the side of the road, with Bella crying in my arms but it was probably only a few minutes. It was then that I noticed that her sobs were starting to form words.

"Charlie", she choked through tears. "I need to…Charlie. Home. Charlie."

I frowned down at her in understanding. She wanted to get home so her father wouldn't worry.

"Are you really ready to go home?" I asked her softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

She blubbered a few other attempted sentences until it was conveyed that she thought she wasn't going to be in any better shape anytime soon. I sighed in agreement and set her back in her truck before taking the driver's seat. I wrapped my arm securely around my still sobbing human, and she rested her warm, wet face on my shoulder.

I drove the truck home slowly, giving Bella time to compose herself. It pained me to watch Bella struggle helplessly against her sobs, and not being able to do anything but hold on to her. Impossibly enough, she seemed able to control her sobs by the time we arrived at her house, though a steady stream of tears still ran down her face.

She pulled away from my arms and stumbled out the passenger door. I got out and was around to her side in time to stop her from falling flat on her face.

"Wait for me upstairs", she mumbled to me, her voice still marred by her tears. I gave her a worried look but her eyes were focused on her feet. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her one last tight, comforting hug before obeying her orders and climbing up the side of the house and into her window.

I dropped into Bella's old rocking chair to wait for her to get past Charlie. Knowing Charlie and his uneasiness around tears, he would let Bella get by quickly without too much explaining.

My theory was proved correct when I heard Bella stumbling up the stairs not a minute later. I stood up just as Bella burst into the room, throwing the door shut behind her, and began fumbling frantically with the latch on her charm bracelet, her breath coming in ragged gasps. I reached forward calmly and grabbed her hands in mine.

"No Bella" I said, unwrapping her fingers from around the bracelet that held the charms Jacob and I had given her individually. "It's a part of who you are."

I carefully drew her back into my arms, as her sobs broke free again. I scooped her up, cradling her against my chest, and went to go sit on her bed.

For hours we lay on the bed, Bella sobbing in my arms while I held her and rubbed her back. As much as it pained me, I knew I had to let her cry. She deserved to cry after all she went through and she needed to cry to let it all out. I would be patient and stay with her while she cried, offering the simple gift of my comfort. This is what I told myself. But it was so hard to stick to it. Every sob would send a tremor of remorse and pain through my body. Each tear pierced my heart like a dagger.

It was long past midnight when Bella's sobs finally calmed and her breathing became even. But even in sleep she was restless. Her face would tighten in pain and she would call out Jacob's name. The only reassurance I got from her sleep was at the very end.

"Jacob", she mumbled. I sighed and tried to fight back the jealousy I felt for Jacob. I was surprised to hear her continue. Until now, there had been no full sentences in her sleep. Just Jacob's name, often paired with the phrase 'I love you.'

"Jacob, I love you", Bella continued. "But you must understand. I love Edward…I love him more. I'm sorry."

I smiled slightly. She still loved me. She had chosen me. I rested my face against her hair and breathed in its floral scent, automatically restraining myself from being affected by her siren blood.

Bella stirred slightly and I leaned back, so as not to startle her when she awoke. I eyed her warily and wondered if she'd resume the crying and sobbing where she left off.

I watched as her eyelids slowly opened and met mine. "Hey."

I just waited anxiously, ready to wrap my arms around her and let her cry again if she needed to.

Bella cleared her throat. I imagined how sore it must be from crying and internally winced for her.

"No I'm fine", she assured me, seeming to read my expression. "That won't happen again."

I narrowed my eyes and studied her expression, trying to see if there was a façade. To see if she was just being strong for me.

Bella sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Her eyes begged forgiveness. "It wasn't fair to you."

How could she think that? After all she went through, she was apologizing to _me_? I put a hand on either side of her warm, delicate face.

"Bella, are you _sure_? Did you make the right choice?" My words were getting quicker as I got more anxious. "I've never seen you in so much pain", I whispered, my voice breaking and revealing my own pain at the end.

I watched as her face hardened in determination and as her eyes grew soft with knowing love. She reached out and touched her fingertips to my cold lips. When she spoke, her voice conveyed that she knew she spoke the truth.

"Yes."

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There you go. Let's see if the full version comes out this time.

Please read and review!

-FutureCullen22


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